“Conducting trainings, exercises and drills to get prepared for operational goals is always on our agenda and Americans and all the world know that one of the operational goals of the IRGC Navy is destruction of the US naval force,” Fadavi said in what the semi-official Fars News Agency called an exclusive interview.

US air power totally depends on fighters flying from its aircraft carriers, Fadavi was quoted saying, “hence, that is a natural thing that we want to sink these vessels.”

Fars said Fadavi also spoke of the vulnerability of the United States’ giant warships and aircraft carriers, notably in any potential combat against Iranian missiles and speedboats in the Persian Gulf: “If you take a look at [former US defense secretary] Robert Gates’ book, you will see how he counts the vulnerabilities of aircraft carriers to the IRGC Navy and (that’s why) he asks for a change in the US naval strategy. This is no easy task, but they (the Americans) have started doing so as he has emphasized,” Fadavi said.

US warships are a very easy target for the IRGC naval force, given that “we have very precise analyses of the design, construction and structures of these warships and we know how to act.”